Fans Ejected From Fenway Park After Displaying ‘Racism Is As American As Baseball’ Banner

Fans sitting atop the Green Monster at Fenway Park held a sign that read “Racism is as American as baseball” during a game between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night, and were promptly removed from the stadium.

Fenway Park Racism Banner News

“During the fourth inning of tonight’s game, four fans unfurled a banner over the left field wall in violation of the club’s policy prohibiting signs of any kind to be hung or affixed to the ballpark,” the Red Sox said in a statement. “The individuals involved were escorted out of Fenway Park.”

The fans explained who they were and their intent in an interview with The Washington Post. 

“We are a group of white anti-racist protesters,” the fans told The Post. “We want to remind everyone that just as baseball is fundamental to American culture and history, so too is racism. White people need to wake up to this reality before white supremacy can truly be dismantled. We urge anyone who is interested in learning more or taking action to contact their local racial justice organization.”

One member of the group of fans who sat above the left field wall spoke to the paper on the condition of anonymity, and said there was a fifth member who was “doing documentation across the stadium.” The person said the quintet was “not associated with any particular organization although all of us do work as organizers in various Boston groups that combat white supremacy and racism.”

That same member said the group chose Fenway Park as a venue to relay their message “in an attempt to reach as many people as possible.”

According to ESPN, umpire Joe West met with Boston police and other local officials to discuss having the fans ejected. Some fans booed as the group — whose protest was also reportedly inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement — was thrown out.

Red Sox manager John Farrell commented on the banner following his team’s 7-3 loss.

“Saw it was draped over the Monster. From the dugout, you see someone expressing their opinion and it looked like it was withdrawn relatively quick.”

Outfielder Mookie Betts said he believed the time and place for such a statement was poorly selected.

“There’s no place for that,” he said. “That’s for another day, though.”

The group denied any affiliation with Antifa or Antifa Boston, which earlier claimed responsibility for the move on Twitter.

Boston is a city that has garnered a reputation for being racist and generally prejudiced, in sports and in other fields. In May, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones had objects thrown at him by fans at Fenway Park and was also subjected to racial slurs like the ‘N word.’ The Red Sox later apologized to Jones and the Orioles and said they would subsequently begin handing down harsh punishments to anyone who engaged in that type of behavior, and even Boston officials like mayor Marty Walsh released statements about the incident.

The Red Sox were also the last MLB team to integrate African-American players like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. Red Sox owner John Henry recently said he was hoping to change the name of Yawkey Way, a street outside Fenway Park named after former owner Tom Yawkey, who was associated with racist practices during his time in charge of the team from 1933 to 1976 .

Following the Jones incident, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said his office would seek to implement league-wide “guidelines” for handling such episodes.

The Red Sox (82-63) are first in the American League East, three games ahead of the second-place New York Yankees.

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 13: A banner with the message ‘Racism is as American as baseball’ is draped over the Green Monster during the fourth inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park on September 13, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)